New to pickleball? Anyone can learn the basics in a single afternoon—yet a few "must‑know" rules help you level up quicker and enjoy the game more. Below is your crash course. Bookmark it, share it with friends, and let's get your game ready!
1. The Non‑Volley Zone, NVZ (Kitchen) Rule
The Non‑Volley Zone—kitchen—is the 7 x 20-foot section on each side of the net. To understand this rule, it is essential to know what a volley is: a ball hit before it bounces.
Volleys in the kitchen = lose the rally.
- ✅ Step in any time, but only hit the ball after a bounce: dinks, drops, and soft rolls are all legal once the ball hits the court.
- ❌ No volleying (hitting the ball before it bounces) while any part of you or your paddle touches the Kitchen line or floor: momentum counts, so clear both feet before swinging away.
Pro Tip: Experienced pickleballers camp near the Kitchen line, keeping shots low to control rallies.
2. OPA! The Two‑Bounce Rule – Serve‑Bounce, Return‑Bounce, Rally
Before anyone can smash a volley outside of the Kitchen, each side must let the ball bounce once:
- Serve: lands and bounces once in the receiver’s box.
- Return: travels back and bounces again on the serving side.
- Now, volleys are legal—everywhere except while stepping in the Kitchen.
The Two‑Bounce Rule keeps the serving team from taking over the Kitchen before a return of serve is hit.
3. Pickleball Serving Rules
Every rally starts with an underhand serve:
- One serve attempt only: miss the diagonal receiving box, and you lose the rally.
- Upward swing: the paddle must travel in an upward arc.
- Contact point for a drop serve: below the belly button, paddle head below the wrist at impact.
Gentle or power‑packed, nail these fundamentals.
4. Traditional Scoring — Serve to Score Points
Under traditional pickleball scoring, only the serving team can score.
- Server #1 (right side) serves until their team loses a rally.
- Server #2 (left side) then serves until their team loses a rally.
- When the serving team loses the rally, the service and the chance to score flip to the opponents.
Announce the score every time in this order: “serving team's points – receiving team's points – Server # (1 or 2).” Loud calls = less confusion.
5. Opening Quirk: Start Every Game at 0‑0‑2
Game openers get a fun twist: the first server is called “Server #2” and starts on the right side of the court.
- At 0‑0‑2, Server #2 serves and continues to serve until their team loses a rally.
- The service then passes across the net to the opponents, preventing an unfair first‑serve advantage.
- Afterward, both partners on each team will have the opportunity to serve before the ball is handed to the opponents.
Remember: 0-0-2 is the official start of every pickleball game.
See you at the Kitchen line! These fundamentals are the building blocks that keep the game fair, strategic, and addictive. Master them—bookmark this guide, grab a paddle, and step into your next game knowing you’ve got the essentials locked down.
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